Earth AU
by kittymills
Summary: Earth Alternative Universe f!shenko fic - Shepard and Kaidan are civilians on Earth on the day of the Reaper invasion. Inspired slightly by Solcomms Twitter event. Writing purely for my own enjoyment.
1. Chapter 1

_(This is the first AU fic I've ever done, normally I don't really go for them, but I was so broken after the EC DLC I needed to step away, but then I missed my Shepard & Kaidan, so I decided to try playing with them in an AU. I'm having a surprising amount of fun with it.)_

It was supposed to be a day like any other. Nothing special. Just your average sunny day in Vancouver. But it wasn't. It was a day no one would ever forget, least of him but he would remember it for different reasons. He would remember it because of _her._

The first glimpse he caught of her was from across the street. Tight jeans, knee high boots, a satchel resting against one hip under a black jacket. She was dressed for comfort, unlike many of the other dolled up women who strode past in their teetering heels and tiny dresses.

Her omni-tool was flaring as she looked to the sky. Even from the other side of the busy thoroughfare, he could see her brows furrowed in annoyance. The whole city had been from suffering connectivity and data flow issues today. Something was off.

Kaidan watched her for a moment more, wondering exactly what it was about her that drew his attention. She was certainly striking, but not classically beautiful, and she wasn't dressed to attract attention. He'd always been one to listen to his gut though and within moments, he found himself crossing the street, darting in between the traffic of metal and people that swarmed the commercial district to get to her side.

"Need some help?"

She looked up at him in surprise and ran a hand through her choppy dark hair. She sighed and a rueful smile graced lips the colour of pink ice. He caught a whiff of vanilla as he leaned closer to hear her answer over the noise of the street.

"I'm trying to get to the Alliance headquarters to see my uncle, but I'm completely lost." She gestured with one hand to her omni tool "This thing is telling me the global positioning system isn't available."

"Yeah," he said, slipping his hands into his pockets and rocking back on his heels. "The grid has been having issues all day. There were even power outages in some of the suburbs apparently. The Alliance HQ isn't too far from here though." He hesitated briefly before continuing on. "I've got some free time, so if you're interested I could walk you."

She eyed him warily and he removed his hands from his pockets and held both of them in front of his chest, palms up. "Not a weirdo, I swear," he smiled reassuringly.

He held his breath as he watched her eyes flicker from his face to her omni-tool, then back to him. He could see the decision making process echo in her eyes and he found himself hoping that she would agree. He suddenly wanted to know more about this woman. He saw her flex one shoulder in a half shrug, seemingly having made her decision. "I don't really have much of a choice it would seem. I need to meet my uncle in about 20minutes."

He nodded. "Okay then, let's go. I'll do what I can to get you there on time. "

She deactivated her omni tool and fell into step beside him as they moved towards their destination.

It had dawned a glorious day and it seemed that everyone was intent on being outside to enjoy it. They found themselves having to twist and snake their bodies sideways to manoeuvre through the crush of people. He kept up a quick tempo, knowing she had an appointment to meet and she kept pace with him easily, her long legs matching his stride for stride. He smiled at her as they rounded a corner and found themselves in a quieter area. The path ahead was lined with trees and garden beds containing small brightly coloured flowers. She looked around with interest.

"Are you earthborn?" he asked as they walked along.

She shook her head. "No, I was born in space and raised mostly on Alliance frigates."

"Ah," he said. "Military brat?"

She gave him a sharp glance. Her eyes narrowed and sparked fire. He immediately realised he had touched on a sensitive subject and kicked himself. _Nice one, Alenko._ He quickly jumped in to defend himself. "Hey, I can say that because I was one too."

"Oh," she muttered, turning away and relaxing. "Sure, yeah I guess you could say that. My whole family is military," she said.

"But not you?" he persisted, curious in spite of himself.

"No," she said looking away. She studied the trees in the distance. "Things… happened."

"Oh," he said, sensing her reluctance to talk about it. Time to drop the subject. He knew firsthand what it was like to have secrets.

They walked on in silence for a little bit longer, their pace gradually slowing. It was peaceful here. Less people, less noise. Above them, sky scrapers reached to the heavens but sunlight still found its way to them. She paused for a moment and simply turned her face to the sky, closed her eyes and let the golden light wash over her face.

"I'll never get tired of feeling the sun on my face," she said. Her eyes opened and she turned to him. He responded with a quiet chuckle, thinking how much earthborn kids must take fresh air and sunlight for granted. He was about to open his mouth to speak when without warning, the skies darkened overhead and a deafening roll of what sounded like thunder echoed through the buildings.

"What the hell is that?" She asked in alarm.

Kaidan looked around in confusion. "I have no idea."

There was the sound of explosions and they heard screams and shouting as the sky behind them lit up with a bright flash. In the distance, they saw a building shatter, carved like butter by a blood red beam.

People started to stream into the area, stumbling and yelling. Above them, a chunk of a nearby building exploded and crashed to the ground, sending up a spray of dust and debris. Again, the horns sounded and a monstrous squid like machine thundered down nearby. Kaidan felt the atmosphere change as a crackle of energy felt like it was sucking them to the machine. A portal opened and another beam of vibrant red light shot out from inside it.

He reached out and pushed her back, moving them both away from the open space and pressing themselves against the cool metallic sheets of the nearest building. He tried to make sense of the chaos before them as they huddled against the wall. They heard more screams and the crunch of metal as a building in the distance collapsed in on itself. People were running down the streets, abandoning their hover cars where they stopped.

He tore his gaze away from the invaders and grabbed her wrist. The ships he saw landing were unlike anything he had ever seen. He turned to the young woman beside him, gratified to see that while she was alarmed, she wasn't hysterical. "We have to get out of here."

"No," she shook her head vehemently. "We have to get to Alliance HQ!"

"What?" he stared at her incredulous. Was she crazy? "No, we have to get out of the city!"

She yanked her arm out of his hand and pointed at the machine that towered nearby. She raised her voice to shout over the screams and explosions. "The reapers are here, we have to get to Alliance Headquarters! _Now!"_

"Reapers?" He looked from her face to the hulking mass, stunned. "But I thought they were just a myth?"

"No!" she shook her head violently and started to back away, "They're real, and they're here and if the Alliance doesn't mount a defence, we're all dead. Take me to Alliance HQ. We have to go now."

It was unthinkable. This morning had dawned an ordinary day, nothing special and now it looked like his city was under attack. Was it just Vancouver? Or was the entire planet under attack? He studied her face for a split second, his mind rapidly trying to work through their options. Going to Alliance HQ seemed like suicide. They weren't soldiers, how could they help? He was a doctor for god's sake! But at the same time, she already seemed to know more than most people. Perhaps she was privy to more information than he realised.

"Okay," he ran a shaky hand through his hair. "We'll go to Alliance HQ, we aren't far now."

Her eyes were shiny with gratitude. "Thank you."

"Don't thank me yet," he muttered.

He grasped her hand again, scanning their nearby area for an escape route. In the distance he spotted an alley way that he knew circled around the buildings and took them in the direction of the Alliance HQ. Praying he wasn't making a mistake that could kill them both, he tugged her towards it.

It was chaos, dust and debris choking the air, people screaming and running in terror. As they broke from the cover of the building wall, their eyes met and he was sure she gave him a quick jerk of the head. Together they streaked across the open park to the cover of the alley beyond. A large chunk of debris thudded nearby and he grabbed her, pulling her closer to his side. She grunted in thanks and matched his stride as they ran for the alley.

From the sky came a red ball of flame exploded in behind them just as they slipped into the safety of the alley. They stopped and spun around to see the flames die away and horrible monsters emerge. Misshapen creatures with lumpy hunched backs and firing from what appeared to be a weapon on one arm, snarling and snapping as they searched for prey.

"My god, what the hell are those things?" she gasped. Dust had turned their dark hair to ash grey and dark smudges of grime streaked her cheeks. He didn't imagine that he looked any better but he was suddenly grateful she was with him. He didn't want to be facing this alone.

"I don't know. I thought reaper's were machines but they definitely looked organic!"

Without waiting to find out more, they ran deeper into the alley. It was a narrow space and dark with shadow from the tall buildings. Kaidan felt uneasy in such a narrow space and suddenly realised they might be trapped. With those monsters behind them, they had no chance but to go forward.

Together they eased their way through the alley, walking cautiously, but still trying to move quickly. When they came to a cross section he instructed her to wait while he moved a few paces in front. He inched even further away, trying to peer down the pathway ahead of him, but the dust and debris made it hard to see.

He heard a snarl behind them and swung around to find a glowing blue zombie like creature had latched onto her, wrapping its legs around her waist and its hands gripping her throat as she struggled against it.

"No!" he yelled.

He was too far away to pull it off, and without thinking, his biotics flared brightly. He sent a wave of dark energy towards the creature just as she flung herself around and slammed it into the nearby brick wall with the force of her body. The creature loosened its grip and when the wave of blue hit it, it was thrown into a pile of rubble a few metres away. She staggered back, and slumped against the wall, sliding down it while gulping in huge shuddering breaths.

Kaidan ran back to her, leaping over the blocks of debris easily and within seconds he was back at her side. "Are you okay?" he asked urgently, terrified she had been hurt but keeping one eye trained on the creature in case it moved again. She had slammed that thing with such force against the wall it was a wonder she wasn't injured herself. He reached out to touch her but she waved him off, instead placing her hand against her chest and heaving in a large lungful of air with her eyes squeezed shut.

"You're a biotic," she said, eventually looking up at him. Their gazes locked.

Kaidan stared into her vibrant blue eyes and was suddenly thrown back into memory. Blue eyes turned to brown, but instead of looking at him in gratitude, they were looking at him in fear and distrust. He mentally shook himself and the vision faded. "Are you okay to keep going?" he asked, roughly, pulling away and making a move to stand.

"No, wait!" her hand snaked out, quick as lightning to grab his wrist before he moved too far away. "You saved my life," she said softly. She squeezed his hand. "Thank you."

The tension in his stomach eased, and he stood. He hated using his biotics for so many reasons and he had expected her to look at him like most of the population, with distaste and apprehension. He was more relieved than he cared to admit that she didn't.

She climbed to her feet, rolling her shoulders as she straightened. When she turned to him, her demeanor had changed. Her eyes were sharp and full of focus and her mouth was tight in a line. He was a little taken aback. He had expected her to be shaken after that ordeal, to be teary or struggling to deal with the adrenalin surging through her but as she stood there in front of him, calm and expectant. It was then he realised she was something special.

"Come on, let's get out of here. We need to find some answers."

Without a backward glance, she strode off to the crossroad. He hurried to catch her.

"Wait! I don't even know your name."

She paused and glanced over her shoulder. "Shepard."

He waited expectantly. "Shepard? Is that a first name or a last name?"

She grunted as she climbed to the top of the debris that blocked their path, then crouched and jumped down. She landed nimbly on her feet. She looked back up at him once before turning and striding forward again. She called out over her shoulder.

"Just Shepard."


	2. Chapter 2

**PART 2**

_Shepard._

For some reason, that name tickled something in the back of his memory. Something he couldn't quite place. He considered her waiting by the intersection, but turned back to the remains of the creature that had attacked her. Professional curiosity pulled at him and he waved a hand at her to signal her to wait. He moved cautiously towards the creature lying on the ground.

"Dear god," he breathed. "I think it's human."

It certainly had all the characteristics of a human, but altered in some kind of horrible way. It was grotesque, misshapen and made him sick to the stomach. He didn't need to get too close to realise this was not something he ever wanted to encounter again. He backed up quickly and spun on his heel, determined to get as far away as possible from it. And any others that might not be far behind.

She glanced at him as he jogged to catch up with her. She waited patiently. "So I told you mine. Going to return the favour?"

In spite of himself, a small smile emerged on his lips at her cockiness. She stood with her arms folded across her body and one eyebrow lifted, apparently no worse for wear having just fended off an alien creature and witnessed his powerful biotics at play. It was refreshing if he was honest with himself. He was so used to being treated with fear and distaste when he used his talents, which was why he used them rarely. That, and also the migraines. He rubbed his forehead absently, feeling the beginning twinges of a headache already starting to manifest.

"Kaidan. Kaidan Alenko."

She stuck her hand out. "Nice to meet you, Kaidan."

He took her hand in his. Her skin was warm and smooth, and her hand fit nicely in his. He wasn't sure if it was the left over hum of his biotics or something else, but he could have sworn there was fission of electricity that zipped through their joined hands. He pulled away reluctantly. He wondered if she had felt it too. He cleared his throat and the spell was broken.

"So, we should go down this way if we're still trying to get to Alliance HQ." He gestured to the pathway to their left.

"Alliance means soldiers. Soldiers mean weapons. We can't keep running around out here unarmed."

"At least we know biotics affect them, so we aren't completely defenceless."

She grinned at him openly. "No, we aren't. Glad I bumped into you, Kaidan." She turned and playfully nudged his shoulder as she walked ahead of him. He stood dumbfounded for a moment. Was she… was she_ flirting_ with him?

He swallowed his confusion and moved to catch up with her, then stepping in front to take the lead.

They trudged silently through the pathway, trying to ignore the distance sounds of explosions and fighting, and the occasional human scream. Kaidan swallowed down the bile that threatened to rise up his throat. He was still in a state of shock. He searched for something to say, to break the silence, to try and drown out what was really happening but she beat him to it.

"So why didn't you join the military? If you're a biotic, I would have thought they would have made you a handsome offer, maybe even made you an officer?"

"I was, for a while."

"Didn't agree with you?" She asked curiously, glancing sideways at him as they moved cautiously along, picking their way through the rubble that had fallen. The sounds of destruction were still prominent but the screaming had started to die off. Kaidan wasn't sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing. The reality of the situation came crashing down on him once again and he fought back a wave of panic. He concentrated on her question instead.

"Things… happened." he said, echoing her words from earlier.

"Ah," she said sympathetically. He'd expected her to push, but she didn't. He felt uncomfortable with the echoing silence between them and found himself rushing to fill the space.

"Most biotics go into the military. Might as well get a paycheck for it, right? I mean, we're not restricted but we sure don't go undocumented. And my father served." He lifted a shoulder in a half shrug as they moved along. "It made him proud when I enlisted. Eventually," he muttered the last part.

"You didn't want to see the galaxy?"

He glanced up, eying the explosions in the distant sky. The Alliance was fighting back where they could. More horns sounded and they staggered as the ground shuddered and rumbled under their feet. Small bits of rubble and debris rained down on them from above. He took a deep breath and focused on the moment, on their conversation, knowing that there was a very real possibility that he could become paralysed by fear. No one could ever have expected this. Not today, not ever. He answered her, his voice low and raspy. "Yeah, I read a lot of those books when I was a kid. Where the hero goes to space to prove himself worthy of a woman he loves. Or, you know. For justice." He cleared his throat, fighting the blush that threatened to stain his cheeks an unmanly shade of pink. Could he be any less obvious?

"Ah," she said knowingly. "You're a romantic."

He didn't answer. His attention was captured elsewhere. The alley they had travelled down ended and opened out to a wide street. At least, what was left of the street. Downtown was almost unrecognisable. There were smashed hover cars in the collided piles, rubble and dust filled the air.

Shepard was about to step forward but Kaidan saw a movement to his side and quickly pulled her back. They crouched down, leaning their heads around to see out but keeping their bodies in cover.

"I thought I saw something," he said quietly in response to her questioning look.

There were flashes of explosions overhead and they looked up. An Alliance gunship swooped past, hot on the tail of red glowing circular machines. They saw a stream of gunfire from the gunship and the enemy unit dropped. It collided with the side of a building as it came crashing down, sending a spray of metal, glass and sparks as it landed.

Shepard let out a whoop as more Alliance gunship streaked overhead. She latched onto his arm, her eyes wide in excitement and her mouth curved into a grin. "The Alliance is hitting back!"

Kaidan gazed at her animated face to the rubble behind her in the street, then up again towards the sky. The Alliance might be striking back but it was looking like a rapidly losing battle. Through the gaps in the buildings he could see the hulking mass of no less than four separate reapers, and that was just in this one small block. He knew they were close to Alliance HQ, and part of him hoped it was a strategic move on behalf of the reapers to hit the military locations first, but he wasn't sure. Either way, they were stuck with no weapons, and no real plan in the middle of a war zone.

"Come on, we need to get across this street. We have to stay low and keep in cover."

Another explosion lit up the sky above them and they turned to see a blue Alliance gunship take a direct hit and plummet to the ground less than half a click away from them. The ground shuddered with the impact.

"Oh, no, " he murmured. His heart sank. There was no way the pilot or any crew would have survived an impact like that.

He turned as another explosion sounded nearby. He recognised the red ball of flame as the same one earlier that had yielded the monsters. His stomach clamped in fear as he saw the flames fade away and the creatures start to swarm the street, coming towards them in a frightening pace. He glanced to his right, eying the distance to the gunship. Shepard must have tuned into his thoughts because her short nails dug into his arm as she tried to get his attention.

"The gunship," she panted, trying to speak through the dust that had been stirred up and now clung to their throats. "There will be weapons on the gunship!"

She relinquished his arm and took off at a sprint, racing her way over the uneven ground towards the gunship. She leaped in one motion and slid over a downed pylon, nimbly landing on the other side. She was quicksilver in motion and Kaidan followed close behind her, grateful he had kept up his training even after finishing his military service. He landed in a crouch beside her, noting the open space between them and the downed ship.

"We've got to check for weapons," she said, her eyes sharply trained on the shattered craft in front of them.

"And survivors," Kaidan said.

She shook her head. "You know as well as I do that no one could have survived that, Kaidan."

His lips formed a tight line. "Maybe so, but we still have to check."

She opened her mouth to respond but thought better of it. One shoulder lifted in a shrug and Kaidan was relieved to find she wasn't going to argue. He knew they had limited time but he couldn't leave without checking. His conscious demanded it of him.

He slowly peered over the pylon and saw monsters advancing towards them. "We have to move, now!"

They sprinted to the gunship, raising their forearms against the flames that licked and curled around the tail. An alliance solider was sprawled in front, his limbs cocked at unnatural angles. Kaidan's stomach lurched as he crouched down. He knew the solider was dead, but he couldn't help but press his fingers to his neck checking for a pulse. The soldier's eyes were wide and staring towards the sky. With trembling fingers, he brushed his hands over the soldiers face, closing his eyelids in an attempt to give him some kind of peace.

"Hey," she said softly, her warm hand dropping to his shoulder.

"Ripped right through their shields." He choked out, shaking his head. "They never had a chance."

"He was an Alliance solider. He knew the risks. When this is all over, there will be a proper memorial. For him, and everyone who died today." She squeezed his shoulder. "Right now, we have to stay focused."

He nodded and stood up, her hand slipped from his shoulder. "You're right. I'll check inside, you get his weapons."

He left her beside the dead solider and climbed gingerly into the wreckage. The smell of eezo, oil and blood was so strong he had to employ all of his medical experience to keep himself from gagging. With one eye, he kept a close watch on the flames licking at the tail, knowing their time was short. Inside the cabin, he found two more bodies, both soaked in blood and both obviously dead.

He swallowed down his dismay as he pulled the pistols from their broken bodies and scanned the cockpit for supplies. This morning he was walking home from the clinic, and now a few hours later he was looting the bodies of dead Alliance marines. Was this really even happening?

The gunship rocked suddenly and he stumbled back, his gaze flashing up to see one of the zombie creatures clinging to the windshield of the gunship and snarling viciously. His heart leaped into his throat and he staggered back, his foot slipping in the pool of blood and causing him to land heavily on one knee. He winced in pain as he heard Shepard yelling out his name and the rapid shots of her pistol ring out. Without taking his eyes off the creature on the other side of the glass, he reached for the medkit and the pistol, shoving them into his pockets and pants. He scrambled awkwardly back out of the gunship door, leaning heavily on his hands and knees. Shepard yelled out again, and then grasped his arm as he exited the craft. Her eyes widened at the sight of the blood.

"Are you hurt?" she asked urgently, lowering her weapon for just long enough to pull him away. He shook his head hastily.

"Not mine," he grunted. He limped forward, his knee shaky as he landed on the ground. He scanned the area quickly, taking in the group of creatures that were streaming over the pylon. _Shit! This wasn't good. _

"Kaidan, run!"

Run or stand and fight? It only took him a split second to decide. He dropped the medical kit on the ground and swung around to face their attackers, bracing his feet in a wide stance and lifting his fist. He concentrated hard and drew the dark energy around him, the blue corona of his biotics flickered around the edges of his vision. He flicked his wrist and sent a wave of energy screaming towards the creatures and they were blown back from the blast. As soon as he saw them drop, he sagged. The pain at his temples intensified and his stomach rolled in protest. He hadn't used his biotics this heavily in years.

He felt her hands under his armpits, pulling him up. "Damn, Kaidan. You're impressive as hell but we can't stay out here. We've got to find cover."

He nodded dimly and staggered to his feet. "The med-kits," he said urgently, "We'll need the medkits."

She jerked her head sharply and collected the kit at his feet, opening her satchel and shoving it inside. She lifted a pistol and pressed it to his chest. "Next time, don't be such a show off. Use this. Come on, let's go before more arrive."

They turned and ran for cover.


	3. Chapter 3

**PART 3**

Kaidan gulped in a big breath and fought back the pain of his throbbing head from the use of his biotics, trying to concentrate on keeping up with Shepard as they staggered through the streets searching for cover. The streets were so unrecognizable he wasn't even sure of their location.

"Shepard," he rasped as they climbed through the rubble. "I don't know where we are."

She said nothing, her lips hard in a tight line for a moment as she considered their options. "Then we go up."

"Ah… Up?" he questioned in confusion. He rubbed his temple and tried to concentrate.

"Yes, up. We can't see anything from down here. Come on." She tugged his arm and led him across the street to a glass foyer of a sky scraper. The marble floors were littered with smashed glass, steel beams and broken furniture. Kaidan looked around nervously. "I'm not sure going into a building is such a good idea."

"We're flying blind here. Comms are down, streets are blocked, we need to go up and maybe we'll be able to find a path." She halted abruptly and swung around to face him. "Unless you can think of a better idea?"

Kaidan shook his head. He was at a loss to come up with anything else. He sighed and wearily followed her as she headed for a stairwell. Aside from the sounds of distant explosions, an occasional horn blast, there were no other sounds. Not even screams. Kaidan suddenly realised they hadn't encountered any other people since their dash into the alleyways.

"Shepard, why haven't we seen any other survivors? We're in the middle of the city, there should be thousands running for cover."

She paused in her examination of the foyer. Her hand dropped to her side and her brows were knitted in worry. "I don't know. But that can't be good."

He looked around nervously again. "We're exposed here."

She nodded. "Yeah we are. Look! Over there, let's get up those stairs."

She lead him to a wide door marked 'Stairwell' and cursed. A red glowing seal barred their way. "Damn, it's locked."

Kaidan watched as she deftly jimmied open the door. A grey hand flung itself through the gap she had just created and a snarl reverberated in the hallway. Shepard jumped back and let out a curse. "Damnit!" She raised her arm, curled her hand into a fist and punched the creature square in the face. It dropped heavily to the ground and a sharp stomp to its head made sure it wasn't going to be any further bother to them.

"Damn, Shepard," he breathed, impressed. She was so cool and calm and didn't even blink as she kicked the corpse out of the way and wedged herself into the door. She gave a small oomph and the door opened wide enough for the two of them to slip through.

The stairwell was dark; power to the building had gone out long before. Despite the throbbing at his temple, Kaidan amped his biotics, causing a glow to shimmer over his skin and light the small space. Shepard's teeth gleamed in the dark as she smiled. "You're a handy person to have around, Kaidan."

He was grateful for the blue shimmer to hide his blush. He'd never met anyone as appreciative of his biotics before. After spending a lifetime hiding them, well, it was nice to be considered useful, rather than a liability for a change. He cleared his throat. "There's bound to be more of those things in here, let's take it easy."

She nodded and followed him as he climbed the stairs, his ears straining for any sound out of the ordinary. It was hard to hear anything else over the rapid tattoo of his heart beat and his breathing sounded harsh in his own ears. Climbing up the stairwell of a skyscraper in the middle of an attack on the city seemed like a crazy thing to do. Any second now, he half expected the walls to crash in on them and the building crumple to the ground. He strained to keep calm, concentrating on his breathing as they progressed steadily upwards, taking step after step.

They came to a door marked with a 5 and he paused. "How high do you want to go?"

Shepard considered the number on the door in front of them, and shrugged. "I guess this is a good start." She stepped in front of him and grasped the old fashioned handle, giving it a push as she slid the door open slowly. There was plenty of light so he released the dark energy he had been holding. He sparked once then the blue shimmer faded completely. He ignored the slight twinge in his stomach as it dissipated.

As the door was cracked open wider, they slipped cautiously through. The room they entered was a wide space, clearly an office environment with rows of desks and low partitions tumbled over themselves. Sparking cables dangled from gaping holes in the ceilings and a howling wind echoed through the space from the blown out windows on either side. Kaidan and Shepard exchanged a look as they stepped forward into the room, taking in the scene before them.

"Looks clear. Let's get to the windows, see what we can see," Shepard said.

She moved to one side, the side of the building that showed the street running parallel to the path they had come off. There was a tremor as a reaper towering nearby moved, and blasted through a distant building. The explosions made his head ache. Kaidan tore his eyes away from the hulking machine and moved to Shepard's side. As they got closer to the edge, the wind picked up.

Shepard crouched down, gesturing behind her for him to do the same. She was focused on view beneath, her sharp eyes rapidly scanning the area. It was hard to see the damaged wrought by the reapers of his city. It was chaos below, the usual orderly streetscapes were a disorganised mass of shattered buildings, smashed cars and rubble. It made his heart ache to think of the countless people that must have been killed and again the lack of bodies disturbed him.

A movement in the distance caught his eye and he nudged Shepard with a light push of his elbow. "Down there!" he hissed, pointing to the ground below. "A survivor!" He observed a young woman running, her dark hair streaming in the wind as she sped and wove through the shattered streetscape. She tripped and landed heavily, before scrambling back up and looking back over her shoulder. Behind her, a small hoard of the zombie creatures were running after her. He could hear their snapping and snarling from up here and his heart leaped into his throat in fear for the woman.

"Shepard!"

"I see them! We have to get down there." In a heartbeat Shepard was up, spinning on her heel and bolting for the door. She charged down the stairwell with Kaidan pushing hard behind her to keep up. He amped his biotics in the darkened stairwell again, grunting with the combined exertion of flaring his biotics and moving as fast as he could. They bust out of the stairwell door and ran for the exit, hoping to intercept the creatures in pursuit of the woman.

As they got to the street, Shepard unhooked her pistol and raised it, firing off a series of shots before rolling into cover. Kaidan pressed himself against the side of crashed car, his eyes scanning the scene. He heard Shepard yell out and more shots fire and he ran to her side. They stood side by side and fired directly at the hoard. Shepard proved to be a crack shot, and heads exploded, dropping the creatures before they could get too close. He fired off some rounds of his own and between the two of them with the added help of some biotics, they made short work of the creatures.

He turned, searching for the young woman and saw her slumped on the ground behind a large block of concrete. Her chest was heaving and her brown eyes wide with alarm.

Kaidan approached her cautiously; he didn't want to frighten her any further. "Hey, it's okay. You're safe now."

He squatted down beside her, his hands already rummaging inside the med kit he had pulled from Shepard's satchel. Shepard hovered at his back, her weapon still drawn and on high alert for any others they might have missed.

"Are you hurt?" he asked the woman.

"A few scrapes and burns, but nothing serious. The others weren't so lucky. Oh man," she breathed and shook her head. Her dark brown hair fell out of her ponytail to hang loosely around her face. She was comfortably dressed in jeans and a dark sweater but had nothing else with her except for a pistol she hadn't used. He wondered briefly where she had got it from and made a mental note to ask her later.

Shepard dropped down beside them a moment later, apparently satisfied that the threat had eased. She exchanged a quick glance with Kaidan before addressing the survivor.

"What's your name?"

The woman gulped in a deep lungful of air and raised her eyes to stare calmly at them both.

"Ash. Ashley Williams."


	4. Chapter 4

**PART 4**

Kaidan could feel Shepard hovering protectively as he helped Ashley to her feet and led the limping woman into the limited shelter of a doorway of one of the nearby buildings. The sky overhead was still charged with activity, the reapers towering above and gunships and enemy craft zipping between the buildings in hot pursuit. They all looked up as an Alliance shuttle streaked above them and wove its way through the buildings until it was out of sight.

For the moment, they were somewhat protected by the overhang of the building. He listened closely as Shepard turned her attention to the woman they had just saved.

"Ashley, listen to me. Were there any others with you?"

"No," Ash shook her head and pressed herself against the side of the building. "Dead, they're all dead. Those things-" she raised a fist her mouth and squeezed her eyes shut, visibly fighting trying to get herself under control.

"Hey, it's okay. You're not alone now." Kaidan laid a hand on the woman's shoulder sympathetically. His worried eyes met Shepard's and they exchanged a troubled glance. This woman was the first survivor they had found in the 3 hours or so since the attack. He looked on as Ash drew in a deep shuddering breath and began to speak.

"I was down by the harbour when we saw the reapers landing. No one could believe it. We all started running, and everyone was screaming. Some Alliance soldiers found me and they tried to fight back. There were other marines, who were putting people into shuttles to get away, but the shuttles were shot down. Those marines died trying to save those people. They died, trying to save me. "

"This isn't your fault, Ashley. You couldn't have done anything to save them. Come on," Shepard said, squaring her shoulders and taking charge. "We can't stay out here. More of those creatures could be on their way."

"Husks," Ashley muttered, rubbing her side as she straightened.

"Husks?" Kaidan echoed curiously. He looked from one woman to the other.

Ashley grimaced. "The Alliance soldiers that helped me. That's what they called them."

Kaidan saw Shepard squint at the pistol that dangled in Ashley's hand. "Is that where you got the pistol from?" she asked.

Ashley nodded and then shrugged. "Fat lot of good it did me. I don't have any thermal clips left."

Kaidan reached out and took the weapon from her. "We have some spare clips. Here," he said as he deftly reloaded the weapon and handed it back. Ashley snatched it out of his hands and shot him a glare.

"I know how to reload a weapon."

He stepped back in astonishment as Ashley bristled in front of him. He was surprised by her obvious distrust but after a split second's consideration he realised he didn't blame her, not really. They were strangers. He was immediately contrite. "Sorry, I just thought-"

Shepard stepped in between them, attempting to diffuse the tension with her interjection as she brought their attention back to their current situation. Another thundering blast from a reaper resounded in the air and the buildings shook, raining down bits of debris onto the street around them. They all flinched and leaned further back under the overhang to avoid it.

Kaidan was reluctant to follow through with Shepard's original plan of scaling the internals of a building to scout out a route to Alliance HQ. The plan to get to the Alliance headquarters was rapidly starting to feel unachievable. But he was at a loss on how else to proceed.

"We'll sort this out later," Shepard said firmly, gesturing to the pistol in Ashley's hand. "The important thing is that we all have weapons because I have a feeling we're going to need them."

Kaidan saw Ashley sigh and the fight drained out of her. She dipped her head and muttered an apology and he accepted it with a simple nod of his head. He knew better than to take it personally. These were trying times, and no one was thinking straight. He had been lucky to be with someone like Shepard when the reapers came. The two of them worked well together, and he hoped that Ashley would as well.

"Let's find a place to hide and then we can work out how we're going to survive this." Shepard said, taking a few steps forward and turning to scan the streetscape. Kaidan had barely moved to her side when they heard the now familiar red explosion that signalled another mass of monsters slamming into the ground nearby. Shepard swore as she whipped out her pistol and broke into a sprint. "Run!" she yelled.

Kaidan didn't need to be told twice. With a quick peek over his shoulder to ensure that Ash was right behind him, he ran. He could hear snaps and snarls get louder as the husks bore down on them. It was a terrifying sound. The whine of an Alliance gunship made him look up and he wanted to cheer as he saw it streak overhead. It fired down at the shattered streetscape, igniting the fuel tanks of some of the crashed cars in an attempt to halt the husks that chased them in their tracks.

The three of them dived for cover behind what was left of a street side kiosk, narrowly missing being consumed in the firestorm that was unleashed. Kaidan glanced back over his shoulder, hoping the fiery explosions would have made short work of the husks and monsters but still some emerged through the flames, advancing on them steadily. His heart leaped into his throat as he fought down a wave of fear.

Beside him, Shepard had rolled to her side and peeked up out of cover. She lifted her pistol and aimed carefully, firing three short, sharp bursts into the nearest husk's brain. It's head exploded and it toppled backwards, but another two took its place. He and Ashley also started to fire but there were simply too many. He took a deep breath and drew in dark energy, ready to unleash a biotic wave to scatter the hoard. A flick of his wrist and they went flying, buying the three of them enough time to scramble further back to a safer distance.

The arid smoke from the ignited fuel started to choke his throat and he coughed, trying to see past the watering of his eyes as the toxic fumes reached dark fingers of smoke into the sky. He could feel the heat of the flames and backed up further. They needed to find somewhere safe, and they needed to do it fast. There was no way he could keep pushing his biotics and still be able to function and they were already getting dangerously low on thermal clips. He almost started in surprise when Shepard latched onto his arm.

"There's too many of them! We should get underground!"

He coughed again and raised his arm in an attempt to shield his face. He nodded at her. They had had already tried going up, and they couldn't stay on the street. Going down seemed like the next best plan.

"There!" she yelled as she pointed into the distance.

It was the entrance to the subterranean mass transport hub.


	5. Chapter 5

Shepard took the lead, darting into the entrance and plunging down the wide stairs to the mass transit station below ground. She kept her weapon drawn and her senses on high alert as she advanced down deeper into the bowels of the station. Behind her, Kaidan and Ashley kept careful watch on their rear to make sure no enemies followed them and caught them by surprise.

The mass transit station had clearly suffered damage during the attack but the power grid was still engaged. Sickly cool lights flickered haphazardly with every thump and boom of the distant explosions and bits of ceiling rained down on them with every shudder. The deeper they went, the less the ground shook and eventually the sounds of the attack died away almost completely. All they could hear now was the drip of water as the cracked pipes that protruded through the damaged ceiling leaked onto the floor and an occasional zap as severed cables sparked.

On the station platform itself, the damage was less noticeable than on the stairwell but they started to notice red star shaped splatters decorating the tiles and walls. Dread landed in Shepard's stomach like a heavy weight and she signalled to Ashley and Kaidan to wait at the foot of the stairs as she scouted ahead. She crept cautiously forward, her sharp eyes scanning the dark corners for anything that might be a threat, the memory of the husk leaping at her still fresh in her mind. She moved even further forward, and then halted abruptly as she heard a faint noise in the distance. She froze for one heartbeat, then two, waiting patiently for another sound before creeping forward again. Within moments, she had scouted the immediate area and found it curiously empty.

Shepard hooked the pistol back on her hip and strode back to where Kaidan and Ashley waited. For now, she was satisfied the area was safe. "It's clear," she said and beckoned them forward.

Ashley nodded sharply and also holstered her pistol. Shepard saw her take a good hard look around the station platform. She wrinkled her nose as the strong scent of grease that permeated the air. Mixed with the scent of blood, it made their stomach's churn. Shepard kept one eye on Ashley as she scouted out the immediate area for herself, taking in her surroundings. Kaidan, on the other hand, had moved towards the area where the blood seemed concentrated the most. She watched turn in a slow circle, taking in the dark red stains on the surfaces around them. His dark brows were furrowed and he looked troubled as he frowned.

"There is a lot of blood, but no bodies." Kaidan turned to her, his face a mask of confusion. "Why are there no bodies?"

Shepard didn't answer, instinctively realising that he wasn't really expecting her to respond. He crouched to study the marks on the wall a short distance away. "Shepard," he called out to her, his voice raspy with concern.

She moved to his side and squatted down beside him. He pointed to the dark smears of blood. "Not all of these blood splatters are the result of impact from bullets," he said quietly. "See these darker, thicker pools? This looks like they might be arterial flow, as though a limb had been cut off."

Shepard thought about the implications of that and the lump of dread weighed a little heavier. Shepard huffed out a breath. "How do you know this?"

Beside her, Kaidan's lips quirked in a sardonic smile. "We didn't really get much of a chance to talk before the attack happened. Long story short, Alliance service put me through medical school."

"So, you're a Doctor?"

He nodded. "Yeah, worked in a small clinic in one of the rougher parts of town, also worked in some of the major hospitals for a while."

She rocked back on her heels, somehow unsurprised by this. It seemed fitting to what she had seen of his personality so far. For a moment, their gazes locked and she was distracted by the look in his whiskey coloured eyes. She took in his dark curls, the small scar below his lip and his chiselled jaw and imagined he would have had the nurses swooning wherever he went. He looked tired though; there was tightness around his eyes that belied his discomfort.

With difficulty, she turned her attention back to the blood splatters and found herself at a loss as how to explain it. Where was everyone? There was evidence of fierce fighting but where were the bodies? This amount of blood… who could have survived this?

A rustle behind them had them both standing quickly, instantly on alert but they relaxed when they realised it was Ashley. In her arms she carried a bundle that rattled as she jogged towards them. "Sorry, I should have called out and warned you." She smiled apologetically as she dumped the bundle at their feet. It was a sheet or a tarp of some kind filled with bottles of drink and various packaged long life fast food. Shepard looked from the haul to Ash in surprise and Ashley shrugged modestly.

"Found a vending machine. I haven't eaten in hours, and he's a biotic so I know he'll be hungry." Ashley knelt down and rummaged through the pile to pull out an energy bar. She thrust it at Kaidan. He smiled faintly as he took the bar from her gratefully.

"Thanks," he said. "It's ah, Kaidan, by the way."

Ashley put on a bright smile, and stuck out her hand. "Nice to meet you, Doc."

Kaidan opened his mouth to answer then frowned in confusion. He scratched his head absently. "What? How did you know?"

Ashley gestured at the tag that peaked from his jacket pocket and lifted an eyebrow. She grinned at him cockily and Kaidan flushed slightly. "Good spot," he muttered, turning away and ripping open the energy bar packet in his hand.

Shepard watched the exchange with tired amusement then kneeled down herself to collect a bottle of a bright purple energy drink of some kind. She cracked it open as she stood and took a long drink, grateful for the soothing liquid on her parched throat. In their mad dash earlier, she hadn't given much thought to her thirst. She nodded at Ashley and sent her a appreciative smile. "Thanks," she said, raising her bottle and giving Ash a mock salute. Ash grinned and took a swig of her own drink.

Shepard gathered what she could and stuffed the items into her satchel and suggested Ash and Kaidan did the same. They followed her instructions without protest. As they collected what they could, Shepard moved towards another area of the platform. She had seen the door earlier when she scouted the platform and had made a mental note to revisit it. The door was locked, but she flicked open her omni tool, ran a quick code and the door unlocked. It opened to reveal a wide darkened room that flickered with dim light. Ash materialised at her back, with Kaidan close behind her.

"This must be a control room of some sort," Shepard said, entering the room cautiously and doing a slow turn. She took in the screens that lined the walls. Almost all of them were blank or showing scratchy static. Kaidan moved past her confidently and took a seat at a console. He tapped at some of the keys and swirled his hand to bring up the holographic interface.

"I wonder if anyone is broadcasting, or if we can find information of some kind. We can't be the only ones left alive," Shepard said.

Kaidan huffed out a breath as his hands whirred over the holographic orange glow. "Yeah, let's see if I can find anything."

Ashley and Shepard hovered over his shoulder anxiously as he worked. Eventually one of the centre screens lit up. It was a broken news report from the Alliance News Network. Their horror grew with every word.

"This is Emily Wong, reporting on the alien invasion. They're attacking civilians and penning us in the cities for some reason-"

The report cut out briefly then flashed back up on screen. The rest of the broadcast was choppy and broken up. They strained to catch the words.

"-Cannibals are clearly not geth. Four eyes like batarians, but some kind of cybernetic implants-"

"-husks made from humans, attack turians-"

"-avoid any areas where people congregate-"

Icy cold fear crawled through her veins as the three of them tried to make sense of the broadcast. Ashley hunched over, her eyes filled with silent tears, her hand over her mouth.

"-Earth is falling-"

Shepard reached forward and switched off the broadcast. The room became silent, each of them trying to digest what they had just heard. The words reverberated in their minds.

_Avoid any areas where people congregate._

_Husks made from humans._

**_Earth is falling._**


	6. Chapter 6

**PART 6/?**

After the revelations from the news broadcast, they opted to take some time to rest. They needed more information and they needed a plan and until they had both, they were reluctant to try and make their way back to the surface. It made Kaidan a little uncomfortable to be holed up in this room without leaving themselves a way out but Shepard had crafted a contingency plan in case they were discovered. It wasn't much but for the time being, there wasn't a great deal they could do and it went against every grain in his body to go rushing into things half cocked. Ashley had vehemently disagreed, wanting to take action and reap vengeance but in the end, Shepard had talked her around.

Kaidan had checked both Shepard and Ashley over, finding only a few bumps and scrapes, nothing serious that a light application of Medi-gel couldn't fix. He used it sparingly, well aware that these medical supplies would soon become in short supply the longer the war raged. He thought about the hospitals and felt a pang of guilt. Should he try to get to one? He wasn't sure if he would be much help and the report advised them to stay away from areas where people congregated. The notion that the husks that attacked them were once people like him made him sick to the stomach. He had never ever wanted to use his biotics against a living creature, but those husks… where they alive? Was there anything of the original person left inside? The thought that their awareness could somehow be trapped inside and aware distressed him. He leaned forward, rubbing his temples as he tried to shut out his own feelings.

"Credit for your thoughts?"

He opened his eyes and looked up. Shepard stood at his feet, her brows furrowed in concern and her pistol dangling loosely in her hands. She had a smudge of soot down one check and her hair was caked with dust, turning her glossy black strands to a dull grey. The now familiar pang resounded in his chest at the sight of her. He was starting to accept that he was wildly attracted to this woman. Hardly appropriate under the circumstances, but her cool, calm head under fire was impressive. Her acceptance of his biotic abilities, and the way she had put her trust in him made him feel things he hadn't felt in years. As she stood there in front of him, one hand loosely on her hip and a concerned expression on her lovely face, he felt like a teenager in the early throws of infatuation. She was quite possibly the most beautiful woman he had ever seen and for an instant, he forgot everything else that had happened and simply swam in her luminous blue eyes. He mentally shook himself when her head cocked to the side at his lack of answer. He cleared his throat.

"Ah, just… processing."

She crouched and then slumped down beside him, her back against the wall and her shoulder brushing his. He tried to ignore the heat he imagined coming off her skin. She sighed and laid the pistol down on the floor beside her. "At least Ash is getting some rest," she said ruefully, her eyes trained on their new friend curled up a few meters away. An old tarp bunched up under her head and her jacket draped over herself like a blanket. Kaidan couldn't help but smile a little. Ash had been through a lot, he was glad she was getting some rest.

They sat in a comfortable silence, watching the static on the screens flicker shadows onto the walls. The headache had steadily intensified with each blast of his biotics but he wasn't sure he would be able to sleep. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw the destruction of his city, the people screaming, the husks running at them. He expelled a heavy breath and finally acknowledged the weariness that washed over him.

"How's the migraine?"

His eyes flashed open and he turned to her in surprise. "How- how did you know?"

She gave him a small, tired smile. "I've heard it can get pretty bad for L2's. I worked with a couple during my military service."

"Wait, I thought you said you weren't military?"

She shrugged. "I'm not now. But I was."

He smiled weakly, remembering the way she handled a gun and her cool calm head under pressure. "It shows," he said.

She patted his hand, and returned his smile. "You look beat. I'll tell you all about it another time," she said.

He tried to nod in response to her then winced as the movement caused a flare of pain. "Today was the first time I've used my biotics in-" he searched his memory. "Years, really." He rubbed his temple a bit harder, trying to ignore the bite of pain that sat right behind his eyes. "It was okay when we were on the run, but now we've stopped, it's hard to ignore," he said apologetically.

"I saw some pain relief in the med-kit, let me get it for you."

She moved to stand upright but he stopped her with a hand curled around her wrist. "No, we need to conserve the medical supplies," he said. "There will be someone else who needs it more than me."

"Kaidan," she protested, her voice soft and her brows knitted in concern. "I need you at one hundred precent if we're going to survive this. I can't do this without you."

"I'll be fine, Shepard. I just need some rest. To close my eyes and sleep for a while."

She studied him for an instant longer and Kaidan was anxious she was going to argue the issue, but he was resolute. He wouldn't waste pain meds on himself if there was the chance someone else might need them more later.

She surprised him by nudging him to lie down and fashioning a makeshift pillow out of her satchel. "Then get some rest, Doctor." She said firmly, her tone brokering no argument as she pushed the material under his head. He sank down gratefully. The floor was hard and cold but he was so weary the discomfort barely registered. He was dimly aware of her hand brushing wayward strands of hair from his forehead as he willed his muscles to relax.

Within moments, he was asleep.


	7. Chapter 7

**PART 7**

While her companions slept, Shepard perched at the console and searched the extranet for information. The connection was sketchy, dropping out every few moments but tiny packets of data were still getting though. She searched for any mention of the Alliance, of survivors, and for anything that might help them formulate their next step. She found very little in terms of specifics. She assumed it was information they were trying to keep out of the reapers hands.

What she did learn was worse than what she could possibly have imagined. She learned that heavily populated locations like schools, hospitals, stadiums, even prisons were the first places hit by the reaper ground forces. There was speculation that they had been monitoring Earths communications for years, and knew exactly where to go first. There were reports that husks were simply "repurposed" humans, infected with reaper tech. The reports had named the lumpy monsters cannibals and there were reports of husks and cannibals working together to round up humans. Her hands trembled as she searched but a rustle behind her caused her to flick the terminal off. She needed some time to make sense of this. Already her mind was rapidly running through the scenarios, information tumbling over itself in her brain as she tried to focus.

Ashley waking up became a welcome distraction, taking her away from the horror for only a few moments. It was long enough for her to catch her breath, to mentally step away and let the information settle. She swivelled the chair around to face the other woman.

Ashley sat up slowly, rubbing her face with the back of one hand. She turned to Shepard, her expression bleak. "I had hoped it was all a bad dream," she said. "Some horrible nightmare and when I woke up, I would be back in my own bed." She signed quietly, mindful of Kaidan still sleeping not far away.

Shepard shook her head sadly and Ashley sighed heavily. She climbed to her feet and came to sit in the chair beside Shepard's. She swivelled the chair and leaned back on the console, her eyes locked on Kaidan. He was lying on his side, his jacket bunched up under his head as a makeshift pillow. One hand was over his eyes, where he had fallen asleep rubbing his temple. Shepard felt a little pang in her chest as she watched him.

"So, how long have you and the Doc been an item?"

Shepard glanced at her companion in surprise, startled by the unexpected question and momentarily taken aback. She frowned in confusion. "An item? We're not an item."

"But I thought-" Ash scratched her head then yawned. "Sorry, I just thought-" She shrugged.

Shepard's lips quirked. "Are you interested in the Doctor, Ashley?"

Ashley gave an unladylike snort that made Shepard chuckle quietly in spite of herself. "No way. I'm not getting in the middle of that. Besides, I get the impression he's only interested in one of us here. And it's not me." She gave Shepard a pointed look.

Shepard felt a slow blush creep up her cheeks and looked away awkwardly. "I don't know what you mean."

Ashley leered, easily picking up on and clearly enjoying Shepard's discomfort. "Sure," she said, with an exaggerated wink. "Whatever you say, Skipper."

Shepard chuckled softly at the nickname Ash had started using for her. Earlier, Ashley had discovered that during their mutual service in the Alliance, Shepard had reached a higher rank and Ashley claimed it felt natural to defer to Shepard now, even though they were civilians. You could take the marine out of the Alliance but not the Alliance out of the marine, she had said.

Shepard peeked over her shoulder to make sure Kaidan was still asleep. He was a few metres away, and out like a light. She had to admit he _was_ extremely easy on the eyes with his dark curls, the straight profile of his nose and that lovely cleft of his chin. And his lips, his very kissable lips… Shepard gave herself a mental shake, aghast at where her thoughts had wandered. The man had almost exhausted himself today, trying to do his part in keeping them alive and now she was ogling him like some kind of love struck teenager with a celebrity crush.

"There it goes again," Ashley said, amusement in her voice.

"What?"

"The way you look at him. The way he looks at you."

"We only met this morning," Shepard protested weakly. "Just before the reaper's attacked. We barely know each other."

Ashley shrugged and climbed to her feet. "Well, it looks like there's definitely something there. Just be sure to give me the heads up if you want me to walk drag." She gave Shepard a saucy grin and turned her back.

Shepard went back to the extranet, trying to ignore the tiny seed that Ashley had planted.


	8. Chapter 8

_I humbly suggest reading Lizziebelina's fic We Felt the Sky Fall: Part 1 in addition to this part :) Lizzie, thanks so much for letting me play with Lucas!_

* * *

**Part 8**

While Shepard shared what she had learned with them, Kaidan nibbled unenthusiastically on another energy bar Ash had handed him. As soon we he had woken up, his stomach had growled in protest. Thankfully the short sleep had helped the pressure in his head ease and he was feeling much better.

Ashley also looked like she had grabbed an hour or so rest, but one glance at Shepard's lips in a tight line showed she hadn't. She looked up, as though she had felt his gaze on her and her eyes met his from across the room. He was gratified to see her eyes soften and a slight twist of her mouth before she glanced away, turning her attention back to the woman seated beside her. He was starting to realise the attraction between them wasn't as one sided as he had originally thought.

Part of him wanted to laugh at the lunacy of the situation. It would be just his luck that the end of the world arrives, and he finds the one person he didn't even realise he was looking for. His thoughts turned again to the invasion, and their precarious safety. For now, in this room, they felt relatively safe, but who knew how long that would last.

As though the universe had somehow turned into his thoughts, there was a commotion outside. All three of them heard muffled rounds and cries come from the other side of the door. His head snapped up and he flung the energy bar way, instantly on alert. Adrenalin surged in his veins.

In silence, they moved as one. Ashley and Shepard flanked the door and Kaidan hung back. His hands fisted as be mentally steeled himself in preparation for using his biotics if need be.

Shepard jerked her head and Ashley flicked open the door with one hand, then quickly pulled back out of the way. Shepard pushed through the open doorway, her weapon raised and focused on any potential threat in front of them. Ashley slid through right behind and Kaidan followed with his heart pounding. Mild surprise flittered through his mind at how well the three of them worked as a team, as though they had always done so. Instinctively in sync, their basic training had all come back to them as though they had never left service.

A high pitched scream echoed in the distance. It was loud and shrill and turned the blood in his veins to ice. They slipped around the side of the platform and caught sight of an urgent flurry of activity at the foot of the stairs. Those lumpy aliens were charging down the steps, flanked by a handful of loping husks. Not far from their small sanctuary's doorway, a squad of Alliance marines charged forward, weapons blazing.

Shepard and Ashley wasted no time, sprinting at top speed into the fray. The fell into step beside the marines, rapidly adding fire support to their assault. Kaidan wasn't stupid to charge along with them, instead he hung back slightly and flared his biotics, sending waves of dark energy in pulses at the aliens from cover. The invaders were flung back into the air and the marines, Shepard and Ashley pumped their thermal clips into them until they landed in heavy bloody lumps onto the station floor. The husks proved to be no match for his biotics and the marine's ruthless efficiency and the monsters were easily dispatched by a co-ordinated assault by the humans.

Just as there was a tiny lull in the gunfire, one of the marines detached himself from the squad and gestured towards their trio. His hand movements were jerky and this face was panicked behind his helmet. Kaidan's head snapped around at the sound of another inhuman scream and his heart almost stopped in his chest.

Pulsing down the stairs and wreathed in a swirling blue flame was quite possibly the most grotesque creature he had ever seen. It was frightenly tall with a swollen misshapen belly that protruded from greyish flesh and its wide snarling mouth yawned wide in another shrill scream. The sound reverberated horribly in his skull and he stumbled back feeling the tingle in the air of the creature drawing in the unmistakable twang of dark energy. He turned frantically to the marines, knowing that the creature was about to unleash a torrent of biotic force directly at them but he was too late. The creature screamed again and leaned forward, its tentacled head snarling as it blasted the marines with a shocking pulse. Two of them were flung backwards, their backs cracking sickeningly against the concrete wall as they flopped and then went still. Another marine rushed forward, only to be caught in the creatures grip and lifted into the air by his throat. Kaidan watched in horror as the creature speared the marine through his chest with its long, sharp talons. The remaining marines blasted it with every shred of firepower they had left. The creature dropped the dead man and collapsed to its knees, letting out a final tortured shriek before dissolving into black ash and shimmering blue.

"Jesus! Fuck!"

With the threat momentarily dealt with, one of the marines ripped off his helmet and rounded on his companions. His eyes were wild with shock and his chest heaved. "What the hell was that thing?"

Another marine, this one an officer judging by the stripes on his armour, strode up to him and slapped him hard on the shoulder. "Stay calm, Patterson! Go help Jones and the others."

The shaken marine stepped back, and with a muttered "Yes, sir!" turned and hurried away to what was left of the squad.

The officer turned to their trio and snapped off a tidy salute. He directed his attention to Shepard, Kaidan and Ashley having fallen in behind her and letting her unconsciously take the lead. Somehow the three of them had forged a unit of their own in the face of the new arrivals.

Kaidan tried to split his attention between the officer and the rest of the marine squad. He kept one eye on the marines, watching to see if any were injured and might need his help, but they all moved freely and calmly and seemingly not in need of any assistance. Their fallen comrades were beyond any help on the other hand.

"Ma'am," the young officer said, zeroing in on Shepard. "I'm Lieutenant Lucas Harbor with the Alliance. Is everyone here all right?"

Shepard holstered her pistol and stepped forward to great him. She held out her hand and he shook it briskly. "We're fine for now. What's the situation out there, Lieutenant?"

Lucas cast Shepard a shrewd glance. "You Alliance?" he asked, with a jerk of his chin.

Shepard shook her head as Ashley stepped closer and answered for her. "We've done our time, but we aren't active."

Lucas looked from one woman to the other. "Rank?"

"Sargent, I was with the 212s." Ashley said.

Lucas turned to Shepard and raised an eyebrow. "And you?"

Shepard hesitated for a brief moment before finally answering. "Lieutenant." She looked uncomfortable. She quickly switched the focus to Kaidan and introduced him to the Lieutenant. "This is Doctor Alenko. Are any of your men hurt?"

Lucas shook his head. "Only a few cuts and bruises on those of us who are left." He shifted his body and glanced back at his men, his eyes blue eyes troubled. "I won't lie. It's hell out there. You three are lucky you came down here. Up on the streets, those husks have been dragging people from their cars and homes, and rounding them up. It's hell."

Kaidan remembered the broken broadcasts and tried not to imagine the horror and fear those people must be feeling. What a stroke of luck it had been that he had already finished his shift for the day and was on his way home when he met Shepard. An hour or so more, and he would have been in the heart of the attack, rounded up along with the rest of the population for god knows what. He felt sick at the thought. His head responded to his tension by starting up a dull throb at his temple once again.

"If you could spare a moment to look over my squad, doctor, I would be appreciate it."

Kaidan nodded, grateful to have something to focus on. "Of course, Lieutenant."

He crossed the platform and made his way towards the marines. They were content to talk to him when he explained he was a doctor and they gladly handed over their med kits to him to let him patch them up.

The marine that Lucas had called Patterson gave him a nudge as Kaidan tended to him. "You know, we haven't found many survivors but you three are something else."

Kaidan lifted an eyebrow, only half paying attention to the marine as he smeared medi-gel over a large gash in Patterson's arm. "How so?"

Patterson's lifted his eyes from watching Kaidan to focus on Shepard and Ashley in the distance where they were currently talking strategy with the young Lieutenant. "A biotic, and two crack shots. Most normal people didn't have a chance."

Without waiting for an answer, the marine stood up and moved away, leaving Kaidan alone with his thoughts.


	9. Chapter 9

**PART 9**

There was no denying the restlessness they were all feeling.

The marines were keen to get back out there, to keep fighting and searching for survivors but Kaidan backed Shepard in her attempt to pump the LT for information. Kaidan could see the Lieutenant was antsy and getting irritated quickly by all the questions.

"Shepard, maybe we should just take a moment to catch our breath," Kaidan interrupted her grilling in an attempt to diffuse some of the tension that had been starting to build.

The Lieutenant rubbed a hand over his face as though grateful for the reprieve and then paused suddenly. His hand dropped to his side and his eyes widened.

"Wait," he said slowly. "Did you say Shepard?"

Kaidan thought he caught the expression of dismay that flickered over Shepard's face but it was gone so quickly he wondered if he had imagined it. She made to turn away but Lucas stepped in front of her and blocked her path. "I knew I had seen your face before!" He snapped his fingers in realisation, his eyes lighting up. "You're Rayne Shepard, aren't you?"

Shepard eyed him steadily, neither confirming nor denying. The Lieutenant glanced sideways to make sure his squad was otherwise occupied.

"Look," Lucas said leaning in and his voice hushed. "Your brother got off world. He's on the Normandy and headed to the citadel to talk to the council. To get help to fight the reapers."

"Wait… Commander Shepard?" Kaidan asked stepping closer, his voice also low. His eyes travelled from the Lieutenant to Shepard's face. So that's where he had heard the name before. Commander Shepard, Saviour of the Citadel and…. war criminal. She had been on her way to Alliance HQ when he met her and she had known the invaders were reapers. He turned to Shepard with his brows furrowed in question and a sickening feeling in his stomach. "Any relation?" he asked quietly. He tried hard to keep the accusation out of his voice.

Her face was carefully blank but her posture was rigid. Kaidan could see her jaw was clenched tightly. For a moment she was silent but eventually she spoke.

"Commander Shepard is my brother," she said eventually. "My twin."

Oblivious to her faint hostility, Luke's eyes lit up. He took a few steps back and called out to his squad to ready themselves. He seemed imbued with a new sense of purpose all of a sudden. He gestured to Ashley to head over to the where the rest of his squad was gathered but before he joined them, he once again confronted Shepard.

"Look, Shepard- we could really use your help. Admiral Anderson is putting together a resistance; we have to hold out as long as we can. Until your brother gets back with reinforcements."

Shepard snapped out of her tension and drew in a sharp breath.

"Anderson is alive?"

Lucas grinned, happy to be the bearer of good news for once. It transformed his face and Shepard caught a glimpse of his youth. "Yep, alive and kicking."

Shepard almost sagged in relief. "I'm so glad to hear that."

Lucas gave her an appraising look. "He's going to be happy to know you're alive, you know. With your training, we're going to need you."

"Can you reach him?" Shepard asked urgently.

He shook his head. "Negative. We've been instructed to stay off comms until told otherwise. The reapers are tracking our communications."

"Damnit," she swore and clenched her fists in agitation. "We need to reach him."

Lucas rubbed his jaw uncomfortably. It looked like he was debating internally on how much information to give her. "Alliance HQ has been damaged pretty bad, there isn't much left standing but the bunker underneath is operating as a command centre. That's where Admiral Anderson is directing what's left of the Alliance forces."

"I need to reach him," she said again. It wasn't lost on Kaidan that she had switched from _we_ to_ I_. His eyes narrowed in contemplation as he attempted to make sense of the conversation.

"It's rough up there. Your best bet would be to day down here in the mass transit tunnels, but some areas are blocked. This one here leads to the space port, which is near Alliance HQ and what's left of command in the city but further down it's caved in, so you would have to go to the surface and bypass that section."

One of Lucas's squad mates called out to him again, and he waved in their direction. "I've got to see to my squad. If there is anything we can do to help you we will. Weapons, ammo, whatever you need just let us know."

Shepard's stance softened and she gave Lucas a tiny smile. "Thank you Lieutenant, I appreciate that."

Lucas jerked his head in acknowledgement and spun on his heel to hurry back to his squad. Kaidan watched as he fell in beside Ashley. Her eyes lit up at the marine's equipment and she clearly eager to get her hands on some for herself. Kaidan turned away from Ash and the marines to confront Shepard as the full weight of his companion's infamy hit him. It occurred to him that if Shepard was the sibling of the famed Commander Shepard, she knew about the reapers and it stood to reason she knew a hell of a lot more she wasn't telling him as well. Her insistence to push onto Alliance HQ and her vague answers made him feel suddenly stupid and embarrassed. Why didn't she just tell him from the beginning? The anger flared inside and he gave her a steely glare as he rounded on her.

"Shepard, what's going on?"

"Kaidan, I-"

"Don't Kaidan me!" He hissed angrily. The pain in his head from over use of his biotics, the confusion and stress of the last48hrs caused his ire to push it way to the forefront and react harsher than usual. He managed to keep his voice dangerously low, mindful of attracting unwanted attention from the marines. "This is business, Shepard. Why didn't you say something? If you knew what was going on, why didn't you tell us about the reapers? Why didn't you _say something_?"

To her credit, she held her ground under his heat of his anger. Her jaw worked silently. When she suddenly sagged slightly under his scrutiny, he immediately regretted his reaction. They had lost so much this day and it was a hard situation for anyone to come to terms with. The fact of the matter was that forty-eight hours ago she didn't even know he existed. She barely knew him and she didn't have to explain herself to him of all people. When she turned her gaze on him and stared at him with those wide haunted eyes, he wanted to apologise for his outburst. He normally took great pride in staying calm under pressure, being a rock for his patients and refraining from judgement but the constant state of confusion they found themselves in and the wear and tear of being on the run was exhausting. His nerves were frayed and his head throbbed horribly.

Considering this, he relented and reached out to take her hand. "I'm sorry, Shepard. I just-"

"It's okay," she interrupted, not meeting his eyes but not pulling her hand away either. "This is hardly an easy situation for any of us."

He absently rubbed his thumb over the back of her palm and stepped a little bit closer. He exhaled a heavy breath and rubbed his other hand over his eyes. "Maybe you could start at the beginning."

"There's not much to tell. Nick and I were raised on Alliance frigates; we joined the Alliance as soon as we were old enough. We went through N7 training together but then we were assigned to different squads. My entire squad but me was killed by a thresher maw attack on Akuze, but Nick went on to become the butcher of Torfan, the hero of Elysium, the first human Spectre and the saviour of the citadel." There was a slight edge of bitterness to her tone and Kaidan realised why she kept her past to herself. Her brother had been lauded as a hero by the Alliance, and he suspected that perhaps she had not.

"Shepard, I-"

"It's fine. It's just- Not something I like to talk about. Nick and I haven't spoken in years. We aren't…. close."

"I've heard great things about Commander Shepard," he blurted out awkwardly and then could have kicked himself. No doubt that was the last thing she wanted to hear right now. He watched her face anxiously for her response, fearful of increasing the rift he could feel gathering between them.

He need not have worried. At his comment of her brother's reputation, she curled her lip in a sneer and her rigid stance relaxed. "He's an ass," she said flatly. "But he does have a knack for getting things to go his way."

"Ruthless," Kaidan said quietly, thinking of the death of 300,000 Batarians and the destruction of an entire system he had seen on the news vids a few months prior.

Shepard nodded. "Yes, he can be. But he _was _right about the reapers. I was on my way to his court hearing and to see Admiral Anderson at Alliance Headquarters this morning."

Kaidan listened as she explained it all to him in a low voice. Her hand stayed cushioned in his the whole time she spoke. He liked to think she drew support from their contact. It was hard to hear - The flack she copped after Akuze, the way she blamed herself, then the comparisons to her more heroic sibling.

"I'm not complaining, don't get me wrong," she said softly. "But I couldn't switch it off like he could. I couldn't let Akuze go. If only I was smarter, or faster, maybe I wouldn't have been the only one to make it out alive. Maybe I could have saved them as well." He squeezed her hand and she cast her eyes downwards. "I lost a lot of good friends that day."

He opened his mouth to speak but they were interrupted by Ashley bounding back towards them. Caught by surprise, they pulled away from each other guiltily, their hands dropping. Ash gave them both a shrewd glance but didn't mention their closeness. Instead she lifted a heavy pistol and a belt full of thermal clips and grinned.

"We've got a plan, we've got weapons, and we have ammo. And if we run into any more reapers, it's going to be time for payback!"


	10. Chapter 10

**PART 10**

Patterson and the rest of Lieutenant Harbor's squad were gathered in a small circle in the control room waiting restlessly for the signal to move out. They leaned up against the consoles informally, their blue alliance armour gleaming in the static reflection from the monitors. All of them held weapons in their hands and despite their feigned casualness, all of them were on high alert.

Shepard could feel them watching her. Their eyes bore into her back making the hair on her neck stand up and her cheeks flush with heat. No matter how much time would pass, she would never get used to this kind of scrutiny. It got worse after her brother had become the first human spectre, defeated Sovereign and simultaneously saved the citadel and the council. It was sometimes a bitter pill to swallow that no matter how far she ran, the ghost of her family reputation would always follow her.

She tried to ignore their speculative stares and busied herself with filling her belt with whatever items the marines could spare. They had been generous with what they offered. A couple of warp grenades, a carniflex pistol and M-8's were substantially more than what they started with. She was concentrating on the weapons when she became aware of Patterson slinking over towards her. There was no other way to describe it. The man slinked, slimy like a snake with greasy black hair and flat black eyes. His movements were uncharacteristic for a man who had entered military service. He was far too casual for her liking.

"So I figured out where I know you from," he said, hovering at her back with a lopsided smirk. "You're Commander Shepard's sister, aren't you?"

At his question, Shepard went rigid. She really didn't want to get into this. No again. She chose her words carefully. "And what's it to you?" she asked, keeping her back to him. She was conscious of the sudden stillness that came over the small room and she ground her teeth in irritation. She had never known silence to echo so loudly.

"Heard you got your whole unit killed while your brother went off to become a big old hero, huh. The first human spectre, the saviour of the citadel," Patterson taunted. "That must hurt, eh? Big bro getting all the credit, and you a complete disgrace."

Shepard's hands curled into fists at her sides and she fought down the urge to snap this man's neck where he stood. She'd heard it all before, but it still made her rage at the unfairness on the inside. She turned slowly to face him, her eyes glinting.

"Yeah, chalk and cheese you two," Patterson taunted again. "One's a big damn hero while little sister got everyone in her squad killed. Never agreed with letting women into the N7 program myself," he said casually. "Can't handle the pressure, can't fight for shit, and instead we're left to pick up the pieces."

"Hey!" Ashley snapped, jumping up. She materialised at Shepard's side and jabbed a finger hard into his chest. "I don't see N7 badge on your uniform. Looks like you're the one who didn't have the chops to make the program."

Patterson dismissed her with a wave of his hands. "Go sit down and let the grown up's talk, little girl."

"You bastard," Ashley snarled. Shepard could see her drawing back a fist, ready to sock him. She debated letting Ash have at him, but if she was honest with herself, she wanted the satisfaction of planting this idiot on his ass herself. All her life she had fought this kind of attitude. You'd think she'd be used to it by now, but it still felt like a knife in her chest.

"Maybe you need to shut your mouth- what was your name again? Patterson? And go sit yourself down before you hurt yourself." Shepard said, the mildness in her tone belying the white hot anger she felt inside. Ash continued to glare at the marine, her stance indicating she was more than ready to take him on.

Patterson rocked back in his heel. "It's a wonder you've stayed alive this long."

"Is there a point to this?" Shepard asked through gritted teeth.

Patterson snapped. He launched forward and shoved his face right into Shepard's personal space. He was so close she could see the pores on his dirty skin and smell the stink of his sweat. "Good men died because of you. You're a disgrace to the Alliance, to the N7's and you should have been the one to die on that god's forsaken rock."

The heat in her cheeks faded, replaced with a cool chill that prickled over her skin. Inwardly she sighed.

Then she struck.


	11. Chapter 11

_Special thanks to Lizziebelina for letting me use her OC LT Lucas Harbor. This fic is just for fun, don't take it too seriously! Apologies if there are some lore errors or things you might not agree with - it is AU after all :)_

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**PART 11**

She moved so fast Kaidan would have missed it if he blinked. Within the space of a heartbeat Shepard had grabbed Patterson by the neck and swung him around to slam him against the wall. One forearm pinned him against up by his throat as her other hand commandeered his pistol from the holster at his hip. She raised it swiftly and shoved it into the side of his temple. Behind them, the remaining marines leapt to their feet in alarm.

"Whoa, shit Patterson!"

"You asked for that, man!"

"Damn, girl's got strength."

Kaidan could see Shepard hadn't even heard them. She was focused solely on the marine in front of her. She pressed the pistol harder to the side of Patterson's head and Kaidan could saw his face going red as she applied pressure to his airways. He considered stepping forward but in truth, the marine's comments had shocked him. After seeing her in action fighting the reapers, he disagreed strongly with Patterson's assessment. It might do him good to be brought down a notch. Ash snickered quietly beside him, clearly enjoying the show.

"Want to say that again?" Shepard asked, her voice low and dangerous beside Patterson's ear.

The marine barely even blinked. Despite his face rapidly turning red, he stared at Shepard with a slightly unfocused gaze and a wide stupid grin. She applied more pressure and he started to choke, but the manic expression still didn't leave his face. The hair on the back of Kaidan's neck began to stand on end and a chill crept down his spine. This didn't feel right. This _marine_ didn't feel right. He waited a heartbeat longer then stepped forward to intervene.

"Easy, Shepard," Kaidan said softly.

She held Patterson for a moment more before making a noise of disgust in the back of her throat. She abruptly released the marine and shoved him backwards into the wall. Patterson cackled as he slid down to land in a heap at her feet . Shepard backed up, giving the marine a final disgusted glance then spun on her heel and crossed the room.

Damn if he wasn't impressed.

Before Kaidan had a chance to speak or examine Patterson more closely, Lieutenant Harbor materialized at his side. He looked down at his subordinate in thinly disguised revulsion. Luke kicked the marine's boot hard.

"Get on your feet, Patterson and get your shit together!" he barked.

The marine pulled himself slowly to his feet and gave Lucas a sloppy salute before walking off. Kaidan and Lucas watched him go back to the rest of his unit. They barely acknowledged him. Kaidan was gratified to see that Patterson didn't appear to have any allies in his squad after that stunt. Kaidan's attention was brought back to Luke as he sighed.

"She deserves better than that," Luke said quietly.

Kaidan nodded in agreement. He thought back to his own past. Everyone had demons in some shape or form. It was what shaped them, made them who they were. Unlike Shepard's though, his had been swept neatly under the carpet. Conatix had seen to that. He didn't want to think about what his life would have been like if they hadn't.

"Is that a common attitude in the Alliance?" Kaidan asked curiously.

Luke looked appalled. "God no. Patterson is a dinosaur. You can ask any one of my squad and I can guarantee that every one of them has got either a sister or a mother or a girlfriend serving. I can't even imagine what the hell Patterson was thinking." Lucas ran a hand through his sandy blonde hair as he spoke.

"The Lieutenant is right. I served in the Alliance for almost seven years and I was never treated any differently because of my gender. My surname, sure, but not my gender."

Kaidan and Luke looked confused. "What?" Kaidan asked, absently scratching the back of his neck.

Ashley waved her hand dismissively. "Never mind. I find it much more rewarding now anyway. Well," she trailed off. "I did."

"You never did tell me what you did," Kaidan said. "You know, ah. Before."

Ashley swallowed and looked to the ground. "I was an English teacher at Walnut Grove Elementary. I was in the city today for an appointment," she said softly. "I heard on the reports that they hit schools and hospitals first. Those kids…" she trailed off.

Kaidan slipped an arm around her shoulder and gave her a quick friendly hug. "I know," he said sympathetically. "This whole situation is horrible."

"Hang on a second," Lucas interrupted. "Did you say Walnut Grove?"

Ashley lifted and eyebrow and nodded. "Yeah," she said.

Luke sucked in a lungful of breath and grabbed Ashley by her shoulders. "Do you know my wife? Bree? Bree Harbor?"

Ashley was a little taken aback at the wildness in the Lieutenant eyes but she could understand his urgency. "Wait, Bree is your wife? Yes, I worked with her. I didn't know her very well though, I'm sorry," she said sadly, exchanging a look with Kaidan as Luke hung his head and dropped his hands from her shoulders. "From what I did know of her, she was a wonderful teacher."

"Don't say that!" Luke snapped. "Don't talk about her in the past tense. She's alive."

"Lieutenant, the schools were one of the first places they hit." Kaidan ventured gently. He could see how broken up this man was. He sympathised. So many loved ones separated, so many lost. He felt for this young man.

"No," Luke muttered. His hands curled into fists. "No, she's not dead."

Suddenly Ashley's head snapped up. "Lieutenant, I just realised – she wasn't at school today," Ash said urgently. "Listen to me, she had the day off like I did. I'm sure because I remember there was some argument about who Alec was going to sub for." She grabbed Luke's arm. "Do you hear me, Lieutenant? She wasn't at school today, she could still be alive."

Luke's eyes were wide with the implications. Kaidan could virtually see the emotions warring within him. Hope and despair, but mostly hope. Luke had no way of contacting his wife, but now he knew she wasn't at the school, the possibility of her still being alive somewhere was very real. Kaidan watched as calmness came over him. He lifted his arm and flared his omni-tool, gesturing to Kaidan to do the same. "I'm transferring you the information we have to date. A cleared route to Alliance HQ, and whatever other information we have been able to find. I'm taking my squad and getting back out there. I refuse to believe that you three are the only survivors left. " His voice quivered slightly.

The data transferred between their omni-tools then the orange holo powered down. Lucas dropped his arm to his side and he turned to Kaidan, his eyes now focused and filled with determination. "Get Shepard to Alliance HQ and to Admiral Anderson. If she is anything like her brother, she's a hell of a solider and we need every single asset we can get if we are going to win this thing. Get her to Anderson."

Luke turned away, his every moment now full of purpose. He paused then looked back over his shoulder. A small smile teased his lips. "This is going to sound stupid, but, ah, if you ever see her- If you see my wife… tell her I'll-" he laughed awkwardly, "I'll meet her for some tea."

Kaidan and Ash nodded as they watched stride away to rally his team. Kaidan inhaled a deep breath and squared his shoulders. "Come on, we should find Shepard and get moving."

Ashley nodded in agreement, her eyes lit with a determined fire. "Yeah, let's blow this joint."


	12. Chapter 12

**PART 12**

Thinking that the reapers wouldn't follow them into the mass transit network of tunnels under the city had been a mistake.

Without comms they were virtually flying blind and the lack of information frustrated Shepard beyond belief. Unlike her fearless and often cocky twin, she was more measured in her approach and after the disaster that was Akuze, she was especially leery of charging in anywhere without a plan. She felt responsible for Kaidan and Ashley now, particularly because they had both insisted on accompanying her in her attempt to get to Alliance HQ rather than try and find a way out of the city. It wasn't a feeling that she was entirely comfortable with. Their lives depended on the decisions she made.

A few hours earlier, they had separated from the Alliance squad. Lieutenant Harbor had provided them with all the information he had up to that point, including the route they had travelled from the space port and Alliance HQ. A route that _theoretically_ should have been cleared of hostiles. While Luke had taken his team and ventured further into the crumbling city in search of survivors, Ash, Kaidan and Shepard and taken to the tunnels intent on getting to what was left of Alliance HQ. They knew that it was still acting as a command post as early as eight hours earlier and Shepard was keen to get to Admiral Anderson.

As they made their way through the tunnels on foot, Shepard heard the warning snarls of husks first. Her stomach dropped and she cursed silently. _Not now_, she thought. Only a few meters more and they would come across an emergency maintenance shaft that lead to the surface, or at least that's what the schematics they had been provided with stated. Shepard prayed the schematics weren't out of date. There weren't a lot of places to hide in this tunnel and their ammunition would only last so long.

The snarls grew louder and Shepard shouted at her companions to hurry. A few more meters and they found the door to the emergency tunnel. Shepard retched it open and gestured at Ash to take point. She sent Ash scurrying up the ladder inside and Kaidan followed as Shepard climbed up behind them. They scaled the ladder quickly knowing they were outnumbered. Shepard had slammed the door shut before she climbed the ladder but one of the husks had pulled it open. That was a new development. From what she knew so far, the husks were fairly stupid, just mindless drones under the control of the reapers. She swallowed a fission of unease.

She fired down as she clambered higher, dispatching the husks that pursued them with easy shots to the head. Their skulls exploded and they dropped instantly.

"Move it, Ash!" she yelled.

A mumbled curse echoed down to her from above but it was drowned out by the blast of her pistol. _Bam!_ She dropped another husk as she dangled from the ladder one handed. Seeing a lull in the wave of husks coming at them, she hauled herself up, moving over the rungs as quickly as she could.

At the stop of the shaft, Kaidan was waiting to help her out. With his strong hands, he grasped her around the waist and dragged her quickly to the side as Ashley slammed down the heavy seal, blocking off the path from their pursuers. Without waiting for further instruction, Ashley rose nimbly and flared her omni-tool, checking the route that Lieutenant Harbor had provided them with and pointed off into the distance.

"That way!" Ash cried as she launched into a sprint.

The seal to the shaft shuddered under their feet and Shepard stomped one foot, her brows furrowed in annoyance and her patience at its limit.

"Those husks are really starting to irritate me, " She snarled as she changed the thermal clip on her pistol.

"Come on, we should move," Kaidan said urgently. His eyes were wide and his voice was low as he glanced nervously at the seal. He turned on his heel to sprint off after Ash but Shepard grabbed at his wrist, stopping him from going too far.

"Wait! I have an idea. Help me with this."

He didn't argue, just lifted an eyebrow as she raised the seal just high enough to shoot the husk that launched its arm through the gap, grey flesh grasping. She hit it square between the eyes, sending it falling backwards and taking some of its cohorts with it. In a flash of movement, Shepard pulled a warp grenade out of her jacket pocket and shoved through the gap. She dropped the seal and grabbed Kaidan's wrist, dragging him after her as she backed away from the cover quickly. They ran, feeling the ground shudder under their feet as the grenade dropped to the bottom of the shaft and detonated.

She heard Kaidan give a grunt of approval as she flashed him a grin of triumph. "That should buy us some time."

Sloping upwards, the tunnel wound itself to the surface and was lit by only small emergency lights spaced apart every eight meters or so. The darkness was heavy and this section of the tunnel was eerily quiet. She could hear her own heart beat thumping heavily in her ears. She fought down a sudden and irrational surge panic of being pursued in the dark. It was a struggle to keep the flashbacks at bay. She didn't know how he knew, but his hand stole into hers in the darkness as they ran, offering her a silent support. Or maybe he was just trying to make sure they didn't lose each other in the dark. She focused on his warmth, his smooth skin and wide palm wrapped around her own, his calm, steady presence and the faint tingle of dark energy as he shimmered weakly to light their way. She wasn't alone, she could do this. Finally, in the distance, they saw daylight and Ashley's silhouette as she waited for them at the exit.

Shepard and Kaidan sprinted for the tunnel exit, their chests heaving with exertion. They burst out of the tunnel and into the dull grey light of the dawn. They squinted as they looked out, letting their eyes adjust to the brightness and trying to gauge their location. They had emerged near the harbour and the elevated position overlooked a large portion of the city. Shepard's heart lurched as she stared out at the desolation in front of them.

"Dear god," she breathed, eyes wide with astonishment. The scene was heartbreaking. Vancouver was burning.

The previously picturesque city with its tall sweeping sky scrapers and curved architecture of the modern age was now virtually unrecognisable. Its skyline was invested with reapers, and the once majestic towers, symbols of humanities technological achievements were nothing by burning shells, collapsing in on themselves under the onslaught of the reaper attack. Columns of dark, arid smoke stretched long fingers into the heavy sky and balls of brilliant red flame rained down onto the city below.

Shepard turned at Kaidan's choked sound of distress and abruptly the realisation hit her of how hard this must be for him. Kaidan was a local. This was his city, his home. As a spacer who moved around constantly, she didn't form many emotional attachments to locations, let alone cities on Earth. To love a city and then to see it burn like this… she couldn't hope to imagine what this must feel like. A swell of sympathy rose inside her and she stepped close to him, laying a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"Kaidan, I'm so sorry."

They had seen the destruction from the ground first hand before their dash into the underground transit tunnels but from this vantage point, there was no denying the scale of the attack or the scale of the losses. She felt him tremble under her hand and her heart ached for him. "This is what it's like all over the planet, isn't it?" He asked quietly. His voice was low and rough.

"Possibly the whole galaxy," she said sadly. He murmured something beside her and she sighed.

Somehow, it felt natural to slip an arm around his waist and pull him close. Their hips bumped together and he accepted her embrace by turning and wrapping his arms around her in return. His head sank to her shoulder and he shuddered.

"So many lives lost," he said against her shoulder.

Shepard trailed a hand through his dark curls absently. A heartbeat later, she pulled back from him slightly and smoothed a hand down his stubbled cheek. He raised his caramel eyes to hers.

"What about your family?" she asked softly. "Any chance they could have made it out?"

His eyes ghosted shut. "My parents," he rasped. "They live here, but my father's family owns an orchid in the BC interior." His voice trembled. "They were headed out that way out on a shuttle on the morning of the attack. I hope they made it. I hope Dad's Alliance training keeps them safe. It must be killing them not knowing where I am."

"When we find Admiral Anderson, we'll try to find a way to get a message to them."

At the mention of the resistance, he seemed to rally. He straightened and stepped back. Shepard watched as he wiped a hand over his face, schooling his expression into a calm determination. She was sorry when they broke apart. The hug had been as much for her as it was for him.

"Come on," he said shakily. "Let's find Ash before she gets too far ahead."


	13. Chapter 13

_Okay, so I've taken some liberties with this chapter – I've never been to Vancouver and I can only half imagine what it might be like in the time of Mass Effect. _

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**PART 13**

The trio trudged through the empty, desolate streets.

They were getting close to Alliance HQ now and like everywhere else in the city, the signs of destruction were everywhere and for the first time, they were actually seeing remains of those people who didn't survive. Smashed vehicles, half collapsed buildings, dead soldiers and dead civilians. Shepard could see that some of the bodies had been draped some kind of orange plastic, as though a sign of respect. There couldn't possibly be enough body bags for all the dead today. It was another heartbreaking reminder of what they had lost. It was truly a war zone. Each of them became grew quiet as they navigated their way, always moving closer to their ultimate destination. At least now, thanks to Lieutenant Harbor, they weren't defenceless and they had a route by which to follow.

The area they had emerged from the tunnels was an older part of town nestled by the harbour. It was a tourist pocket, buildings from centuries ago kept intact to showcase Vancouver's origins. Now, it was a disassembled mess. The once rich red brick of the old buildings were scattered over the ground, and colourful shards of old fashioned stained glass crunched under their boots as they walked. None of them spoke, each lost in their own sad recollections of this once proud city. Shepard sighed inwardly when she remembered just arriving in Vancouver just days ago. This tourist pocket had been the first place she went to upon leaving the spaceport. She remembered walking along this very street, admiring the sights, sounds and smells after too long spent on a cold frigate in space.

She kept a vigilant eye as she scanned the area ahead. So far, they hadn't run into any hostiles out here, but she knew better than to relax her guard. Something in the distance caught her eye. Something foreign and that looked completely out of place in this local area. She picked up her pace and strode quickly towards it and then stopped in surprise at the sight of it.

It was an unusual piece of tech. The strange greyish device perched against the side of the building, as though clinging like a bug. It was about half human height and about as wide. It stood out garishly against the ancient red brick of the wall it leaned against, a mix of old earth world and alien new. Shepard studied it curiously. It was clear that whomever had placed it there wasn't interested in subtly.

"I've never seen anything like this before," she said, crouching down in front of it. It really was an odd design. Something in her gut demanded she pay attention to it, but as she studied the object she was at a loss as to explain why. "Any ideas what it is?"

The trio regarded it silently, each one of their brows knitted in speculation. After a moment, Ashley lifted one shoulder in half a shrug. "Looks maybe quarian to me."

"Or possibly geth," Shepard answered.

Kaidan lifted an eyebrow and shook his head. "The geth haven't been seen outside the veil in almost 200 years, and any of those that were involved in the attack on the citadel have been wiped out. Besides, how could the geth get to Earth?"

Ashley cocked her head. "Didn't you see the geth dreadnaughts attack along with the reapers?"

Kaidan frowned and shot her a sharp glance. "Er, no, I was a little too busy running for my life," he said sarcastically.

Shepard bit her tongue, knowing there was more to the story of the geth and Sovereign than what had been released by the media for public consumption. "I'm sure I recognised some, although I didn't see any mention of them in the reports we found," Shepard said, cocking her head at the device.

Ashley shifted on her feet and let out an irritated growl. "Look, whatever it is, I want to get as far away from it as possible."

Kaidan agreed with a jerk of his head but Shepard studied the tech for a moment longer. It teased something at the back of her memory, but what she wasn't sure. It was frustrating, the information was there in her mind, but dancing just out of reach. It was the exhaustion showing she was sure. It worried her. If they ran across more reapers, her reaction times would be slow and she could quite possibly put her companions in danger. _Just like Akuze- No!_ She wasn't going to go there, she had to focus. _ Damnit, Shepard! Focus! _With a great mental shake, she pushed away her jumbled thoughts and concentrated on the strange tech in front of her.

She crouched down closer and studied the long twisted purplish cables that protruded from it. "We should follow these, see where they lead."

Above her head, Kaidan & Ashley exchanged a glance. Shepard was aware of them inching back from the device in tiny increments, as thought it was an unconscious movement. Kaidan rubbed his temple. "Is that really a good idea?"

Shepard stood up and turned to them. "Something tells me we need to investigate this."

Ashley curled her lip in a sneer. "Something tells me to get the hell away from it. Like, now."

Kaidan said nothing, but he squeezed his eyes shut and rubbed his temple again. Shepard looked over at him in concern. "Kaidan, are you okay?"

He dropped his hand and faced her. "Yeah, just-" He looked dazed and slightly confused. "Suddenly not feeling so great."

Shepard grimaced in sympathy but then suddenly turned back to the device. She lifted her arm and flared her omni-tool, searching for any kind of energy reading or output. It came back negative. So much for the theory it was the device that was causing the confusion and irritating Kaidan's headache. Guess they really were all just exhausted. How many days had it been since the invasion now? Three? Four? Six? She suddenly realised she had no idea. She swung around to her two companions and took in their tired, pale countenances. Kaidan was clearly suffering from another brewing migraine and Ashley, although trying to put on a brave face, had dark shaded rings under her eyes. Shepard didn't imagine she looked much better.

She backed away from the device, and tried to put it out of her mind. She made the decision that her first task right now was to get her squad some decent food and rest. Her squad, she laughed internally to herself. Since when had she started to refer to them as that? It was kind of fitting, she supposed. The three of them had certainly clicked well enough, and operated well as a team. She would have been honoured to have these two people at her side during any military exercise and she was suddenly grateful that they were with her right now.

Turning her back on the tech, she gestured to Kaidan and Ashley. "We aren't going to make it to HQ tonight. Come on, let's get going and find some food and rest. We're all exhausted."

Kaidan sent her a small grateful smile, the tiny twist of his lips and his warm brown eyes soft in relief. It sent a tiny fission of heat through her veins and she looked away quickly, mindful of Ashley.

Ashley on the other hand, gave a great big sigh of relief and said "Aye, aye ma'am."


End file.
